Toka glanced a warning to his startled comrades—accept this situation and play along.
"Great Prince Toka," the patriarch bid. "Your palanquins await your divine pleasure."
Toka lounged into the one bearing his likeness on its sides. Roya and the others occupied the rest. The procession wound through the city, into a great square packed with choraling Kosannans and toward a colossal statue that was Toka, even to his royally engraved weapons!
On the great white altar base black braziers were being lit by beautiful girls. As the procession came beside the altar, a girl with a jeweled wand stepped down to march on the right side of Toka's palanquin. The way led on across the square and to a great white-and-gold stairway that rose away to an immense domed palace. All choraling abruptly ceased and the bearers gently lowered the palanquins. Toka and party stepped out.
The old patriarch assumed a ceremonial pose. "O Great Prince Toka. No farther may we lowly ones travel." He bowed to the girl with the wand. "May you and the Princess Wanda now ascend to your divinely ordained tasks."
Aware of Roya's sarcastically raised eyebrow, Toka played on. "Lead up, good Princess Wanda."
Halfway up the long stairway, Rok frowned. "What gets me—"
A great gong throbbed urgently.
Wanda whirled. "O great Prince Toka! Your first test is at hand!" She raced away for the distant summit of the stairway.
In moments the square and city below were deserted. Toka and the men formed a V around Roya and Elees.